5 Simple Things to Optimize Your Home and Health

May 03, 2016 by Dr Kalidas

We all strive to live a healthy lifestyle, but the time and energy it takes to really change things around may be daunting for some. In this week’s blog, we discuss a few simple changes that can help make your home and your life healthier.

1. Taking Off Your Shoes Before Entering the House

You may have noticed this custom adopted in some homes you have visited, and there are real health reasons to encourage guests and your family to take off their shoes before entering the home. To put it bluntly, shoes track in bacteria and toxins from the outside world that have the potential to contaminate your abode. A study from the University of Arizona found 421,000 units of bacteria on the outside of the shoe. This bacteria ranged from E.coli to meningitis and Klebsiella pneumonia. An EPA study showed that unhealthy herbicides can be tracked into residencies from shoes. In addition, 98% of lead dust found in homes is tracked in from the outside. While bacteria and toxins can affect anyone, be extremely mindful if you have small children. You wouldn’t want them to be crawling in bacteria and toxins!

2. Drink Water

Drinking water is an important part of staying healthy and optimizing your health. Here’s an easy way to remember how much water you should drink. Take your weight in pounds and divide by two. That equates to the number of ounces you should drink daily. Drink water throughout the day and aim never to feel thirsty. If you do feel really thirsty, you are waiting too long to hydrate yourself! Oftentimes, hunger is confused with thirst, and patients consume more calories than necessary. Stay hydrated and avoid this pitfall!

3. Think Positive and Focus on Gratitude

Mental and emotional health are key components to your overall sense of wellness. While you may be concerned with your physical health primarily, take time to really focus on your mental well being. This means taking time to de stress from work/school, and enjoy the company of friends and family. At the same time, it is important to focus on your mental well being, and take at least a few minutes in a day to focus on something that makes you truly happy. With positive thinking and gratitude, obstacles and day to day hardships can be tackled effectively!

4. Get a Good Night’s Rest!

We know we harp on this one often, but it’s absolutely imperative to have a good night’s rest. If you have trouble sleeping, try relaxation techniques such as meditation or yoga. Take some time away from your screens (tvs, phones, ipads, kindles, etc!) and focus on sleep. Darken your room more and turn your clock away from you. Do you feel like your mind is racing? Do a ‘mind dump’ and write down worries or stressful thoughts to get them out of your head and onto the page. This will help you put them into perspective so you can quit worrying about them. Still having trouble sleeping ? Try chamomile tea, and make sure to discuss your sleep symptoms with your practitioner to optimize this imperative part of the day.

5. Eat those Veggies

There is nothing like starting the day off right with a good breakfast and some green juice. Skip the coffee and opt for a healthy, vitamin rich, tasty concoction that you can make in the comfort of your home. All you need is a few vegetables, a lemon, and some ginger to spice things up! Check out the recipes below for some ideas: